BRICS
India to host key BRICS meetings on anti-drug cooperation, women’s empowerment
New Delhi: India will host two key BRICS meetings on July 6–7 as part of its 2026 chairmanship, with member countries set to discuss cooperation on combating transnational drug trafficking and advancing women's empowerment.
The BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting will be held in Guwahati, Assam, bringing together the heads of anti-drug agencies and senior officials from the 11-member grouping to strengthen operational cooperation against evolving narcotics threats, the government said on Saturday.
The meeting comes amid growing concerns over synthetic drugs, new psychoactive substances (NPS), darknet-enabled trafficking and cryptocurrency-based money flows linked to the global drug trade.
Hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the two-day meeting will focus on combating synthetic drugs and precursor diversion, enhancing intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and strengthening institutional cooperation and capacity building.
Delegates will also discuss the use of digital technology in drug interdiction, darknet trafficking, emerging psychoactive substances, precursor chemical diversion, drug demand reduction and institutional mechanisms.
Separately, Kochi, Kerala, will host the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting on July 6–7, where senior government officials will discuss cooperation on women's empowerment and women-led development across member countries.
According to the government, discussions will focus on four priority areas under India's BRICS chairship: women in governance and leadership, digital and financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and skills development, and women's role in climate action, food security and nutrition.
The Kochi meeting will lay the groundwork for the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for July 8–9.
India's BRICS chairmanship this year is being held under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." The expanded BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
